Eclipse
by star.everlasting
Summary: [Caelus Aeternus 1/?, Nox Caelum AU] [Prompt: the sisters "meeting" for the first time when the younger one is born, and the first time they tag-team to get their way] Noctis doesn't stand a chance when it comes to both his daughters- even when they demand he face off against his mortal enemy. Vegetables.


IT'S FINALLY HERE!

For those of you who have never read my works, I created an alternate reality in chapters 16 and 17 of my long FFXV fic, _Nox Caelum_ , where everyone was alive and nothing hurt during those two chapters. In that reality, Noct and Luna eventually do get married, and have two adorable daughters, Diana and Dawn, who basically have everyone wrapped around their fingers (especially their poor father). I didn't want to create that whole world only to never visit it again, and I completely fell in love with both the girls as I was writing them, hence starting this new series.

This is the first fic of a series of shots and drabbles about life in that reality, and *******I WILL BE TAKING PROMPTS!** Please feel free to put the prompts in comments, or message me on tumblr finalfantasyx if you want to see something written for this adorkable family :)

Thank you LariaGwyn for putting up with my angst and my dorkiness and everything else for the past six years :3 Here's your family fluff! Editing this last night at 2:30am made me squealy because of your REAL fam fluff that's coming in another seven months! Love you!

Sorry for any tense mistakes in the first half of the chapter. I have no idea why I suddenly decided present tense was a good idea, but I tried.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Final Fantasy XV. Diana and Dawn are original characters.

 **FINALFANTASYXV**

"I hate you, Noctis Lucis Caelum." Blue eyes glare sharp daggers- no, swords, _broadswords_ , the kind that Gladio likes to use- at him, and he congratulates himself for barely flinching, a helpless smile on his face.

"I love you, Luna," Noctis tries, brushing her bangs from her face. Immediately, all hostility drops from her expression and body language, and Luna almost melts, shooting him a dazzling smile.

"I love you too."

He blinks owlishly, trying his best to keep up with her. They stay that way for another hour or so until the true terror began.

In hindsight, maybe Helios Park wasn't the best place to be at that day, but Luna had convinced him otherwise, saying she could use the fresh air and promising that she wouldn't get out of the wheelchair. In hindsight, maybe he should have been sterner with his wife, knowing and going directly against the doctor's orders and Ignis' disapproving glare. It's true what they say- hindsight really is 20/20.

So is the present, sometimes, with those moments of perfect clarity where there's no shadow of a doubt. And sometimes, those moments, few and far between, come with pain. Excruciating pain.

Luna screams, and as she does, she clenches Noctis' hand so tightly he could swear he heard his bones crack, and he let out a sharp, high-pitched whine in doing his best to not make a sound. His body is retaliating against him; he feels the tell-tale prick in his eyes, blurring his vision as he looks at his wife, with streaks of tears down her cheeks and sweat matting her hair. When he looks down at the ground, he meets the silent gazes of both Umbra and Pryna, and he swears up and down that they are _definitely_ judging him. He has fought monsters and daemons alike; this should not hurt him as much as it does.

Except she screams again, tightening her hold on his hand and he yelps as the doctor and midwife tell her, " _PUSH_ , YOUR MAJESTY!"

" _DAMNIT, NOCTIS, WE'RE NOT DOING THIS AGAIN_!" Luna manages to shriek through her pushes and yelling. " _IF YOU PUT YOUR HANDS ON ME ONE MORE TIME I WILL CUT THEM OFF IN YOUR SLEEP, YOU HEAR!?_ "

Noctis knows she's only saying it because of the pain. They've already had the exact same conversation at least ten times before when Diana was born, and, well, here they are with baby number two.

He hopes Prompto and the others managed to distract the little girl; he gave them strict orders that she was not to be in the vicinity of her mother screaming and yelling and crying until it was all over.

" _ONE_ MORE PUSH! I SEE THE HEAD! JUST _ONE_ MORE!" The doctor yells at the screaming blonde.

"YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THAT THE LAST FIVE PUSHES!" Luna yells right back, taking in as deep a breath as she possibly can through her tears, and then pushes once, hard, effectively crushing her husband's hand. His shriek doesn't even make it out as a shriek; it comes out as a slight shrill, his voice completely failing him. Noctis is about two seconds away from slipping down the chair he's currently sitting in onto the marble floor below.

Another cry is heard, the first from their new baby girl. It is minutes after does Luna deliver the afterbirth, and she collapses against the bed, breathing hard, trying to still the tears still streaming down her cheeks. Both royals attempt to gather themselves before they even make a move to look at each other.

"You okay?" Luna half-whispers, her voice weak and raspy from screaming and crying. Noctis wants to whimper, but in light of the situation, knows that his poor wife just went through so much more, and if it took breaking his hand for her to get through it, he would damn well be okay with it. Instead, perceptive to a tee, the Queen looks down at the hand she had held on to throughout the entire delivery, and winces, seeing the way it is purple and bruised, with her fingernails marking crescent moons on his skin.

"Are you?" he manages to whisper back, mentally congratulating himself for still being able to speak out loud, despite the fact that he should have been the one to ask her whether she was all right first, not the other way around. She barely has time to nod before the midwife approaches them, bending down as she coos at the little bundle in her arms.

"Congratulations, Your Majesties," she says with a wink, handing the bundle over to Luna and promptly drags the doctor from the room to give the parents some time to meet their newest addition. Noctis barely manages to pull himself up to sit next to Luna on the bed, putting an arm around her exhausted body as his wife leans back against him so they can both greet their new baby girl.

Dawn Lucis Caelum-Fleuret looks nothing like her dark-haired sister save for her bright blue eyes and little nose, which are almost identical to their two-year-old. A mop of blonde hair covers her small head, her tiny nose scrunched up as she stared at them with wet eyes, blinking in wonder. Noctis feels his own eyes start to mist, but it's a very different feeling from just ten minutes before when his wife was busy giving birth to the child they held between them. In fact, it isn't unlike the feeling he had when he held Diana in his arms for the first time (and worse; he had been reduced to a blubbering mess, and Luna would never let him live down for the rest of his days).

"I think we named her well," Luna whispers to him, gently rocking the baby. She smiles down at her, the baby still looking at her curiously. "Hi, Dawn," she says softly.

Noctis' throat starts to constrict, and his tongue feels heavy in his mouth. "Hello, Dawn," he murmurs. "It's so nice to finally meet you." He brushes a finger gently against her chubby little cheek. Right at that moment, she lets out a tiny little gurgle, making both parents burst out in quiet laughs.

Luna looks up at him tiredly through her lashes. "Looks like this one is going to be a daddy's girl," she teases, sighing heavily. "Nine months of carrying her and being put to bedrest only for her to take after you. What a shame."

Her husband rolls his eyes at her. "Please, we all know Diana is bound to take after _you_. Is it so bad that I get one of our girls too?" He puts his finger gently on Dawn's little nose, his daughter's eyes trying to follow its movement. "Hmm, Dawn? What do you say?"

The door creaks open slowly, and the King and Queen look up to see their older daughter slowly walk in, clutching tightly to her stuffed version of Pryna. Said dog let out an audible whine at her approach, obviously happy to see her. Diana looks questioningly up at her parents until Noctis smiles gently, leaning down the side of the bed and opens his arms to her. She makes her way across the room, letting him lift her up and putting her on his lap.

"Diana, honey," Luna says with a smile. "Meet your new baby sister, Dawn."

The little girl looks curiously down at the bundle with wide blue eyes, tilting her head to the side. "Mama, she tiny."

Diana takes another moment to look at her before her face splits into a wide smile, lifting her pudgy little hand and putting it onto the baby's chest- gently, just like her mother had told her a few days ago when talking to her about this. She carefully sets down her Pryna doll on the bed and puts her other arm under the baby, attempting to wrap her in a hug.

"Hi, Dawnie," she chirps. "M'm Diana. Sit'er."

At two years of age, though Diana still can't pronounce her words quite right, the excitement she feels at meeting her sister is written all over her face, her bright blue eyes sparkling in wonder.

It is physically impossible to burst from happiness, Noctis knows, but that doesn't stop him from feeling as if his heart might do just that. He takes in the sight of his family, _his_ family, and gathers all three women up in his arms, holding them tight.

* * *

Noctis Lucis Caelum had never been happier in the following three years; that much was evident to the people of Lucis (and Accordo and Niflheim, for that matter). The peace between both the Kingdom and the Empire was lasting, and Accordo no longer had strained relations with either nation. After the war, Aranea Highwind had been elected the ruler of Niflheim, but she stepped down to hand the rule over to her faithful band of men, who all made sure the Empire was running smoothly. The Dragoon herself spent most of her time in Insomnia and Lucis now, alongside Ravus, as both a trusted ally and friend, and the two created a third group of soldiers that worked closely with both the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard.

Prompto and Stella _finally_ stopped dancing around each other, even after having known each other for _years_ , and were now together. Iris was getting the Crownsguard training she had so wanted, and was on her way to becoming a member, just like her father, brother, Prompto, Ignis, and Stella (who was officially offered the position when she asked after her sister got married). Dawn and Diana were growing up quite nicely, no doubt spoiled by their father, while their mother was the one who kept their little toes in line.

Really, the family couldn't be happier. Noctis thought so too, until one seemingly innocent afternoon as he was taking time out of council meetings to eat lunch with his young daughters.

Luna had gone out to help someone in town with healing, and Ignis, having nothing else planned the rest of the day, offered to cook lunch- a simple, yet tasty recipe with pan-fried salmon coated in a light soy-garlic drizzle and steamed broccoli on the side. Dawn had just learned not too long ago how to properly use a spoon, the three-year-old fighting a losing battle against the broccoli as the stuff went _everywhere_. It was all over the table, on her cheeks, on her forehead, and all over her hands, even with Ignis helping her. Diana, so far, only managed to coat the table with the stuff, while Noctis pushed his greens to the side of his plate, polishing off the salmon.

Curiosity overtook the younger Princess, and she tilted her head to the side as she looked at her father's plate.

"Daddy, veggies!" she said, pointing to the broccoli that had been shoved to the corner. Noctis grinned.

"Yeah, baby, those are veggies."

Diana frowned a little, her eyebrows scrunching in a rather adorable way. "Daddy, why don't you eat your veggies?"

It was as if that one little line set off a _bomb_. Instantly, Dawn's eyes widened as far as they could go, the little girl dropping her spoon in shock.

"Daddy doesn't eat his _veggies_?!"

There were moments in his life where Noctis regretted every decision he ever made up to that point. This ranked in the top three as his stomach dropped in cold horror, watching in almost slow-motion his younger daughter's eyes widen, her already _impossibly_ blue eyes fill slowly with tears.

" _Daddy_!" Dawn almost yelled, her voice cracking dangerously. Helplessly, he looked over to Diana, who had the same, absolutely _devastated_ look on her face as her sister. "You _have_ to eat your veggies!"

Dawn's little face was starting to turn red as her father began to panic, her sister cutting into the middle of it.

"Mama says they're good for you, Daddy!" Diana exclaimed, her reaction getting more hysterical by the minute, holding up her plate. "Mama says you _have_ to eat your veggies or else you won't grow taller! Daddy, _you gotta_!"

Noctis opened his mouth, trying desperately to think of some way to diffuse the situation, but he could only see the two pairs of wide blue eyes, so like his and Luna's, and the wet sheen of tears that covered them. He hated watching his little girls cry, and at that moment where both his daughters were tag-teaming him, he didn't stand a chance. Instantly, he turned to Ignis to plea for help when he found the brunet standing in the doorway next to his wife, both of the watching the scene with their hands over their mouths to stifle their laughter.

 _Traitors._

He turned back to look at Dawn and Diana, taking in the minute trembling of their little lips before he tried his best to calm them down, putting his arms around both his daughters.

"I'm sorry!" he said quickly. "Of course Daddy'll eat his veggies, isn't that right? Veggies are good for you, Mama's right!"

He did his best to not glare accusingly at Luna, who let slip half a laugh before she caught herself, clapping both hands over her mouth. In front of him, tear-stained blue eyes looked at him expectantly, their quivering lips in little pouts. Noctis mentally sighed, resigning himself to his fate as he lifted the fork loaded with broccoli to his mouth, trying his best not to grimace as he took a large bite, plastering a large smile on his face, the one he usually reserved for the press.

It was _disgusting_ , the rather-tasteless vegetable squishing and mushing together in his mouth. All the while, Dawn and Diana sniffed, their attention unwavering until he cleared his plate of broccoli a painful several minutes later. Luna, the ever-devious Oracle Queen, _conveniently_ walked in at just the right moment as he swallowed his last bite, causing both the girls to shoot up and run to her. " _Mama_!"

"Mama, Daddy ate his vegetables!" Diana announced proudly. Dawn nodded vigorously, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Did he now?" Luna said, doing her best to suppress her grin. Noctis narrowed his eyes at his wife over their daughter's heads.

"Yeah, now he'll grow taller! Like me!" The younger jumped a few times happily before she suddenly stopped, the smile slipping off her face. "But I don't like veggies, Mama…if Daddy doesn't finish them, can I not finish them?"

The steel that was in Luna's glare was enough to make lesser men cry; Noctis cringed, hunching his shoulders in an attempt to look smaller than he was. He knew full well the extent of Lunafreya's powers, and she was not to be trifled with, even as King. Even as her husband, for that matter. Noctis steered clear of the lines he knew he wasn't supposed to cross, and now Dawn had just tossed him on the other side of one of said lines.

"Dawn Lucis Caelum-Fleuret, you most certainly will finish your vegetables," Luna told her youngest firmly. Not even the two pairs of wet, sparkling blue eyes could sway her, no matter how hard her daughters tried. "Isn't that right, Noctis?"

He hurriedly slapped a smile back onto his face when his girls turned to look at him. "Of course."

"Oh, wonderful," Ignis said from the doorway, carrying another full plate of veggies. The light glinted off his glasses, giving his smile a sinister undertone, and Noctis could _swear_ that he had never sounded more gleeful in his entire life. "There's all of this broccoli to finish. Noct, set an example."

There it was again, the wonder in the bright blue eyes of his daughters, looking expectantly at him. He sighed again, turning his attention to the plate of steaming greens, willing against the power rising in him that he knew would turn his eyes amber and summon Titan just to smash the plate to bits and pieces. One look from the Oracle, and he swallowed the thought immediately.

If Ignis returned later that after to the kitchen and found that all the vegetables had been mysteriously thrown out, well, he just sent the kitchen staff on an emergency supply run and ordered a double portion of greens for Noctis at dinner.


End file.
